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Thank you!

Not a good day

Well, today was suppose to be a gloat day for me and it turned out to be a bummer instead.

Back in December, I ordered the Powermatic 209HH 5 hp, 1ph Planer with Byrd Shelix Head. I got a call saying it would be January. In January, I got a call saying it would be Febuary. In Febuary I got a call saying it would be March.

I got a call yesterday saying that Powermatic had shipped "one" unit and the rest would be shipped in April. Turn's out that unit was mine and my seller didn't even know it had been shipped. It was in Jacksonville and would be here tomorrow (today). He told me to call and make sure the lift gate was set up and if not to call him and he would take care of it.

I called the shipping company and they assured me the liftgate was all set up. Today, the truck came aroun noon-30 and the guy says You don't have help? I don't have a lift gate. Gr-r-r-r-r-r (Like I was going to ask friends to unload an 800lb planer off a semi )
After explaining and knowing I would have to wait until tomorrow, he called and found there was a liftgate here in the same area. They met and switched the planer onto the liftgate truck and came back around 5:30 PM.

The guy was really nice but in a BIG hurry. Had another delivery he said. He put the planer in the shop and I tipped him the $10 I usually give them if they put the big tools in my shop.

So-o-o-o-o I used my sky hook and pulled the wooden crate off the planer. I cut the plastic wrap. OOP'S what's this.... Chunks of metal in the plastic.

Man that sucks big time.
I like Steves theory bout over torque in assembly but man how could the metal chunks get in the plastic wrap. Wasn't it in a crate? And those heads must of come from Byrd to PM???

The way those cutters are 'randomly' broken - not all in a row - and the fact that they all seem to be broken on the back, non-cutting edge, I'd guess that whoever installed the inserts in the head over torqued them.

If they'd broken from cutting impact, the leading, cutting, edges would be fractured, and if something was dropped on them, they'd likely all be broken in a row.

I think you have a case of bad quality control in the assembly area.

On the good side, it looks like a handful of new inserts will solve the problem. Just be careful when you torque the new ones dowm...

Jim D.

Adapt, Improvise, Overcome!

ďThe opposite of bravery isnít stupidity, itís conformity. Even a dead fish can go with the flow.Ē
Roy Underhill, 2018

I called my seller. I told him the broken chips are all the way around the head. This thing had to be running when it happened. The chips were probably all over the machine when they wrapped the plastic around it in Chi-Wan.

I told him under no circumstances would I replace chips or the head. For what I paid for this machine they can pick it up and bring me one worth the money. I have been chastised for my views concerning this very thing on that "other" forum. I just "will not" pay this kind of money for a machine, wait this long and then rebuild it for them.

If I have to wait too much longer I'll send this one back and go with Steel City.

The shipping company was Southeastern Freight. They have been very good in the past but that guy was in a real hurry to leave here.

Powermatic comes shipped in a real wooden crate. There was no damage to it that I could see. They could have dropped it straight down when they moved it from one truck to another and if they were over-torqued...

I am still inclined to believe that this thing had to be spinning for this kind of damage to occur. MANY of the chips are not broken but have gouges in the leading edges like it hit a nail or something.
The guy I am dealing with will take care of it for me. He has the pictures and will call me tomorrow. He's been great to deal with.

When all is said and done I'll make a report and tell you who he is. Now is not the time.